Our fool-proof process for your dream design
Design Consultation
Design is much more than coming up with a wish list for your space. Your landscape is an extension of your home, so we take the time to get to know what makes your home yours. Does the space need to work for fur babies? Toddlers or teenagers? How can your yard best support your lifestyle? The right designs for you start with these conversations.
Site Analysis
Before we can get colorful, we have to get technical. A detailed analysis and inventory of your current property is crucial to creating the most functional space for you.
This includes noting things like exposure to sun and wind, walkability, elevation changes, drainage patterns, and plantings. This analysis will set us up to make the right decisions throughout the rest of the process.
Schematic Design
This part of the design process is crucial to achieving the ideal end-result, yet too-often overlooked in the industry.
We start sketching, putting some diagrammatic ideas down on trace paper that could work with your space. We find a few relationships between what exists there and what could be exist there. The goal is to generate starting-point ideas that save us both time and money in the long run.
Master Plan
Here’s where sketches start to come to life. We’ll dream up a few exciting 3D renderings to help you visualize the overall design plan for your space. The master plan also helps us start to estimate general costs for your project, we will determine together any changes that need to be made before moving forward in the design development.
Design Development
Once we all agree and are excited about the master plan, we start more detailed set of drawings that serve as specific references for the contractors.
This set of drawings includes Existing and Demolition plans, Dimensional Plans, Grading and Drainage Plans, Planting Plans, Lighting Plans, Irrigation Plans, and material spec sheets.
Bid Distribution
Once we have the design development plans, it’s time to send them out for bid. We’ll work together on this process, connecting you with contractors in our network and guiding you towards the right team for the job.
Architectural Oversight
The design process doesn’t end until the job is complete and we’re here to be your main POC through every step.
With an aesthetic and technical eye for detail, we help manage, schedule, and troubleshoot the construction from start to finish. We are invested in making sure the end result is the exact space you dreamed of (and maybe even better!).
Relax
Now that your project is complete, it's now time to relax and enjoy!
What our clients say
“Sketch did an amazing work for us”
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FAQ's
Why should I hire Sketch Studio for my landscape design?
We are creative, passionate, and fun to work with! We are artists with a technical side and understand how things are built. We understand that everyone has a budget, and we design with that in mind. We believe nature and our surroundings influence design, and not the other way around. Design shouldn’t be forced.When it comes to design, this Josh’s favorite quote from Frank Loyd Wright: “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”
Do you install your own designs?
No, But at Sketch Studio we have great relationships with a large network of contractors highly capable of building your project. We only choose the best partners with a shared goal of working together to build one amazing landscape for you and your family to enjoy!
Why should I hire an independent landscape architect/designer when I can go with an all in one design build company?
We appreciate this question and we have a few answers for you:
- Our passion is design. Most design build companies focus more on the production side, which can often limit creativity, exploration, and possibility.
- You can assemble your own team with separate identities to keep design and installation separate. This way you can pick and choose who you want to work with.
- You can take your landscape design and have multiple contractors bid the design. Some design build companies won’t provide you with a landscape plan unless they build your project.
- As your designer we can help you review contractor proposals and provide insight into how pricing compares to other companies. This is a quality check and insurance policy for you.
- Contractors are somewhat notorious for getting things wrong. When the designer is hired directly from you, they can provide oversight on the construction side of things and make sure that things are being built the way the design was intended.
- Often times designers and independent contractors refer work to each other, which is an incentive to keep you happy. At Sketch Studio we establish great relationships with certain contractors that we often refer to build our client’s designs. Each contractor we work with understands the importance of being fair, honest and passionate about their work. If not, they lose our business.
What about submitting Building Permits?
We can do that, too! We can provide the site plan for zoning approval, and we’ll work with an engineer to provide stamped drawings when needed for building permits. In most cases, contractors will typically provide their own engineered drawings for permit that we will submit in a package deal to the city or county.
How much does a typical landscape plan cost?
Great question. Our minimum for a planting plan will start out around $2,500 and can increase from there. If you need more than a planting plan, the cost of additional design work will vary depending on the scope of each project. Many plans need 3d renderings and other detailed drawings to help assist in building your project, which adds to your overall cost but helps ensure the highest quality outcome.
Is it cheaper to use a designer from a design build company?
Sometimes it can seem that way — but some contractors make up for lower design costs by hiding them in construction. An independent design studio like Sketch is the best way to keep all costs transparent so you’re never surprised.
Can you submit drawings to our HOA?
Yes! Your HOA will usually require an Architectural Design Review application to be filled out prior to review. Just send us that application and we can take it from there!